October, 2009

STORYWORKS ACTIVITIES
Reading and writing skills practice for each
Storyworks article, play, and poem
Vocab U Larry

We have created 23 brand-new standards-based reproducibles and comprehension quizzes for you to use with the October issue, plus a LIBRARY of reading comprehension/essay writing templates, graphic organizers, and skills activities to be used with any issue!

Brand New: The Storyworks Writing Center!
Click here for activities and resources for you and your students.

•Important Answer Key Information
Answers to all online reproducibles and quizzes are on our secret Web site. The URL to this Web site can be found on page T1 of the print version of your Teacher’s Edition.

•This Month's Teacher's Edition
Misplace your Teacher’s Edition? Don’t worry! You can now download it directly from our Web site by clicking here. Note: This online version does NOT include the answer key. The answer key is on page T7 of the print version of your Teacher’s Edition, and also on the Answer Key Web site.

•Jumbo Vocabulary Activity For This Issue
Help your students master key vocabulary taken from this issue of Storyworks. Click here.

•Special From Scholastic: HINI fact-sheet for your students.
Click here.

Most of the following resources are in PDF format. To view and print them, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader Software. Click here to download it for free.

 

Poetry
"Superstitions"

 

A funny, first-person, rhyming poem about
baseball, friendship, and superstitions

(To access the TE lesson for this poem, click here!)

  • Comprehension Quiz
    Test-prep and critical thinking questions
  • Read. Think. Explain.
    Critical thinking questions
    (Note: These are also listed in our Teacher’s Edition and can be used for discussion.)
  • Poetry Writing
    Students write their own funny first-person poem -- with lots of help!

 

Nonfiction
"The Disaster of the Hindenburg"


A riveting story of the 1937 disaster that changed the course of air travel in the world, told from the perspective of a girl who was there
Plus: Sentence Chef and a great writing contest

(To access the TE lesson for this article, click here!)


•Lexile Level: 990L
•Skills highlights: cause/effect, identifying main ideas and supporting details, understanding point of view, understanding literary devices, understanding details, comparing and contrasting, making inferences, critical thinking, doing research, writing to prompts.


 

Fiction
"The Haiku Wars"
by Ron Koertge

When kids are feuding in Ms. Willoughby's fifth-grade classroom, there's only one way to settle the score: a Haiku War! Ron Koertge is a critically-acclaimed writer and poet who has created a wonderfully funny and moving story.

(To access the TE lesson for this story, click here!)

•Lexile Level: 590L
•Skills highlights: understanding character, identifying conflicts and resolutions, making inferences, understanding poetry, identifying plot elements, understanding haiku, reading comprehension, forming an opinion, drawing conclusions, understanding universal literary themes, poetry writing, writing to prompts.



 

 

Haiku Contest!

Students get out their pencils for a chance to win prizes and to have their work appear in Storyworks and on our Web site.

 

Play
Where the Wild Things Are
By Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak's beloved classic is a new movie, and your students get a sneak peek in this month's charming play.

(To access the TE lesson for this play, click here!)

•Lexile Level: 660L
•Skills highlights: understanding character motivations, comparing and contrasting, text-to-self, understanding main idea, making inferences, analyzing characters, foreshadowing clues, critical thinking, vocabulary, writing to prompts.

 

Yesterday & Today
America's Sweethearts

Frankie and Annette & Zac and Vanessa

 

Poem
Autumn Leaves
By Eve Merriam



(To access the TE lesson for this poem, click here!)

  • Comprehension Quiz
    Test-prep and critical thinking questions
  • Read. Think. Explain.
    Critical thinking questions
    (Note: These are also listed in our Teacher’s Edition and can be used for discussion.)
  • Poetry Writing
    Students list autumn words and write a poem on their own or with a partner.

 


To Download all activities, click here

To download all quizzes, click here

Skills and Graphic-Organizer Library
Use these basic skills activities for just about any Storyworks feature